Does anyone have any information as to the amalgamation rate using HgI2? I don't remember from where but I heard that using HgI2 'substantially' increases the time required for amalgamation.
"Swim recorded an actual amalgamtion time, it took 17 minutes(.5g mercury blob, 30g Al). The basic procedure is to put a plastic dish on the old balance, zero it, and poke at a mercury blob until about .3-.5 grams is weighed out, then dump it into some 2% I2 tincture, the kind you buy at walmart. I can't verify that HgI2 is formed, but I have successfully amalgamated using this procedure:
300ml methanol and 300ml of water are placed in an erlenmeyer flask with 20-40g of aluminum. The tincture is dumped on top of it, and the amalgamation proceeds for about 30 minutes (I use 1" inch squares, thrown in the coffee grinder)..."
PB